MLB Player News

Cruz (ankle) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Cincinnati.

Cruz departed Wednesday's game with left ankle discomfort, though he probably wasn't going to start Thursday, regardless, with southpaw Nick Lodolo on the bump for the Reds. He's considered day-to-day for the time being. Alexander Canario is in center field and batting seventh for the Pirates in Thursday's series finale.

Merrill went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Merrill accounted for San Diego's only run with a 344-foot solo shot to left field in the sixth inning. The second-year outfielder has picked up his power of late, belting six home runs over his past 12 games. Merrill is batting .306 during that span with 11 runs scored and eight RBI, although he's also struck out at a 29.4 percent clip.

Hays (back) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Pirates.

Hays will miss a fourth consecutive start as he deals with back spasms. It's unclear when, or if, he'll be able to return to the lineup before the end of the regular season. Will Benson will again start in left field for the Reds on Thursday.

Soto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 10-3 loss to the Cubs.

Soto provided New York with a late spark, launching a 397-foot shot in the eighth inning off of Aaron Civale for his 43rd homer of the season, though it only trimmed the deficit to seven runs. The star outfielder has now gone deep six times in his last 15 games, continuing a strong second half in which he's tallied 20 homers and 25 steals -- a milestone most players look to reach across an entire year. Still, his trademark plate discipline has slightly dipped, as his .399 OBP currently puts him at risk of finishing below the .400 mark for the first time in his career.

Carroll went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, a run, an RBI and two stolen bases in an extra-innings loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Carroll reached four times in the contest, including once on an intentional walk. He had a key run-scoring double in the eighth inning to ignite a late Arizona rally during which the Diamondbacks temporarily tied the score. Carroll also stole second and third base after walking in the first inning, though he was stranded in that frame. The star infielder has provided substantial fantasy value with a power-speed skill set that has led to 31 home runs and 32 thefts through 141 games.

Pages went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-4, extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks.

Pages gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning with a two-run blast to left-center field. It was his 26th long ball this season -- twice as many as he hit last year as a rookie. Pages also has 84 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a .276/.316/.465 slash line over 152 games as he's settled into a reliable everyday outfielder for the Dodgers.

Cruz was removed from Wednesday's game against the Reds with left ankle discomfort, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Cruz jammed his ankle into the center-field wall while attempting to make a catch in the eighth frame of Wednesday's contest. He was able to stay in the game for the rest of the inning but was pulled once the Pirates took the field in the ninth. More details regarding the severity of his injury will likely come after the game.

Conforto isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against Arizona.

Conforto will step out of the starting nine Wednesday after going 0-for-4 with a strikeout during Tuesday's series opener. Andy Pages will move to left field in Conforto's absence while Tommy Edman starts in center and Miguel Rojas mans the keystone.

Laureano was diagnosed with a fractured finger after his removal from Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Manager Mike Shildt added that Laureano's injury will keep him sidelined through at least the NL Wild Card Series, and he could remain out if the Padres are able to advance further. The 31-year-old outfielder will finish his best regular-season campaign since 2019 with a .281/.342/.512 slash line to go with 24 homers, 76 RBI, 72 runs scored and seven stolen bases across 441 plate appearances between Baltimore and San Diego.

Laureano was removed from Wednesday's game versus the Brewers after the second inning with an undisclosed injury, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports.

Laureano struck out in his lone plate appearance in the bottom of the second inning before being replaced in right field for the top of the third. It's unclear what he's dealing with, but the Padres should have an update on Laureano's condition soon.